SZA delivers exceptional performance

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If you know me, you know that I’m obsessed with SZA, and that’s honestly an understatement. When I first came across her Extended Play “Z,” I was immediately drawn in by “Sweet November” and “Ur.” After her four year hiatus and the drop of her highly anticipated debut album “Ctrl,” I fell in love with her music all over again. When I found out she was going on tour, seeing her was a must. There I was, sitting at my desk at my summer internship waiting for the presale to go live and boom, the tickets were mine.

Due to an unexpected illness, SZA’s show scheduled for August 17 was pushed all the way back to February 5. Of course I was disappointed, but she’s also human. Getting sick occasionally comes with the territory.

Up until I got the chance to see her live, I watched tons of performance videos from her Ctrl album tour. Most of them were good, some of them were bad, but nothing compared to the performance she gave on February 5 at the Fillmore. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard or seen an actual angel before, but I definitely saw one that night.

SZA graced the stage, starting off the evening with her platinum record “Supermodel” and from there it was magic. The whole night, she talked to the crowd and it felt like she held our hands as she left all of her insecurities on the stage.

One of the most memorable performances of the night was when she sang “Drew Barrymore.” Before she actually started to sing, she gave us the synopsis of the song and explained how it was about her going to a party for a guy who ended up showing up with someone else.

She then proceeded to tell the crowd that it’s never worth putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation for someone else, especially when it forces you to undervalue yourself and hate your flaws. I appreciated that nugget of gold and will definitely keep that in mind when I’m thinking about if a party is worth skipping a study session in college.

“Love Galore” is a pure bop, but y’all knew that already. There was an immediate roar from the crowd as soon as the 808’s were played. I had hoped that she planned on sprinkling her secret verse in this performance but the high energy she gave the crowd sufficed.

It’s safe to say SZA’s performance of “20 Something” got the whole room in their feels. It was the last song of the night and it ended incredibly smooth. It was like she was naked as she expressed things that a lot of normal people would be ashamed to say out loud. As she confessed how her twenties were a jumble and unorganized, the vibe in the room toned down and if the color lavender had a sound, this was it.

This experience was more than what I could ask for and I still can’t believe I only paid $33 for my ticket! To top it off, SZA lost her voice at a previous show but when she got in her zone you had no idea. Honestly, if anyone knows SZA personally, you should tell her that Femi Witherspoon is her biggest fan and that I’ll consider taking a gap year to be her assistant. Wish me luck. •